In the meantime, we have the more relaxed and lower-profile summer sports programs. Sometimes I'm of a mind to raise a toast to that: more relaxed and lower-profile programs. Less pressure on the media people to "snap to it" all the time! Relax and enjoy.
In the prep sports realm we saw the BBE baseball Jaguars emerge as a surprise entrant in the state Class 'A' baseball tournament. Surprise? Well, this was a team that had a five-game losing streak in mid-May. Doesn't matter. Those Jaguars put it together for a run into the elite state action. State play was in St. Cloud.
BBE picked up where it left off with a 2-1 win over "South Ridge." I had never before heard of "South Ridge." Have no idea what town or towns we are talking about.
The Jags could not replicate their initial success the rest of the way. They proceeded to lose to Fosston (7-5 score) and New Ulm Cathedral (2-1). So the Jags finished their 2023 campaign No. 4 in state. Pretty lofty! Their fans had a wild ride to be sure.
Before I continue here, a shout-out for MACA track and field athlete Lydia Fynboh. Lydia placed ninth in the state 100 meters. Congrats all! Lydia's family attends my church of First Lutheran in Morris. This coming Sunday will be our first without a pastor. The pastor we had just retired.
Jaguars 2, South Ridge 1
Class 'A' state baseball unfolded at the St. Cloud field named for Joe Faber. And the Jags got past South Ridge partly on the strength of a "fake pick-off play." The West Central Tribune reported the details. It got a little involved for yours truly to really wrap my arms around. The season is over and I don't wish to work that hard now! Let me just report that this fake pickoff play was an apparently important element in the Jags' 2-1 win in the state quarter-finals. Kudos to the coaching staff on this.
Did the Jags need to use finesse and trickery because they were unseeded in state? Their won-lost record was actually rather pedestrian, not much over .500. The May losing streak pushed it down. After the fifth consecutive loss, I doubt that any of the fans were envisioning state. This is what helps make prep sports so exciting: the surprises! Defying the odds!
Speaking of surprises, it was BBE's No. 9 hitter in the lineup, Ryan Jensen, who drove in the two essential runs vs. South Ridge. This was with a two-out double: a ball hit over the right fielder's head. Two Jags crossed home plate, enough for the eventual win. Those two were Owen Paulson and Casey Lenarz.
The West Central Trib reported: "South Ridge stranded seven combined runners in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings." All five of the Jags' post-season wins were achieved by a margin of two or less runs.
South Ridge out-hit BBE 9-3. Jaguars who hit safely were Ethan Mueller, Casey Lenarz and Ryan Jensen. Tanner Shelton pitched the whole way in the winning cause. He struck out five batters.
South Ridge's big gun at the plate was Christian Pretasky: three-for-four with a double. Pretasky took the pitching loss.
Fosston 7, BBE 5
Both teams flexed their run-scoring muscles in the first inning. The game was part of a quite busy Wednesday for the BBE Jaguars in St. Cloud. But would not end favorably like the South Ridge game. Alas, BBE was dealt the 7-5 defeat. This despite the fact that the Jags out-hit Fosston nicely, 13-5. But BBE committed three errors to Fosston's one.
Talen Kampsen was handed the ball for starting pitching duties. His stint was brief as Fosston pushed across four runs, but only one of these was earned. Kampsen gave up just one hit. He walked two and had no strikeouts. He was succeeded on the mound by Tate DeKok and Hayden Sobiech. Both of the runs that Sobiech allowed were unearned. DeKok allowed one run which was earned.
The winning pitcher was Cullen Norland who had his own problem with unearned runs: he gave up four runs total, just one earned. There's more than one Norland on the roster, so Aaron Norland pitched too.
Luke Illies was the top hit producer for coach Ben Klaphake's Jaguars: three-for-four with an RBI. These Jags each had two hits: DeKok, Ethan Mueller, Casey Lenarz and Hayden Sobiech. Also hitting safely: Brett DeRoo and Luke Dingmann.
Fosston's Carsen Boushee went two-for-three with two walks received, a run scored and an RBI.
New Ulm Cathedral 2, BBE 1
This was the third place game in Minnesota Class 'A'. It was a loss for the Jaguars, 2-1 score, thus the squad ends up fourth in MN, up in pretty rarefied air.
New Ulm Cathedral got the key hit in the fifth inning. Brock Wellman singled to bring in the winning run. BBE scored its one run on four hits and committed one error. New Ulm Cathedral's line score: 2-6-0. Each team scored a run in the third inning. Then came the decisive Wellman base rap in the fifth.
Four Jaguars each had a hit: Brett DeRoo, Tanner Shelton, Ethan Mueller and Luke Illies. NUC's Levi Franta connected for two hits and drove in a run.
Luke Illies took the pitching loss. He had control difficulties with six walks. He allowed the two runs, one of which was unearned. Jake Finstad got the pitching win. He fanned two batters in his three innings of work.
Yours truly hopes to use his "Jaguar" logos for more coverage next year. I admire the work done by the newspaper guy for Bonanza Valley, Randy Olson. He makes his mark not only with the print product but with very dynamic work using the new media. He sets quite the example that could be followed here in Morris with the SCT. But alas, no dice thus far. The SCT just wants to "sell" its print papers, I guess. That's a narrow attitude. Ask Randy about this.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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